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I write fantasy for tweens and teens. I blog about books and writing and occasionally travel and homeschooling.

My world of Aluvia series is with Curiosity Quills Press, and is an upper-middle grade fantasy, well-suited for ages 11-14, though all ages can enjoy it. FAIRY KEEPER, MER-CHARMER and DRAGON REDEEMER each stand-alone but are best read as a series. My fourth book will be releasing with Blaze Publishing this summer, called THE WORST VILLAIN EVER.

This is a family-friendly site. Note: There are some spoilers in a few of my book reviews, primarily the ones done for my grad school classes. I do warn readers with a big, "SPOILER!" announcement on the review.

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Monday, September 30, 2013

JUST A MINUTE: A TRICKSTER TALE AND COUNTING BOOK, by Yuyi Morales

1.BIBLIOGRAPHY

Morales, Yuyi. 2003. Just a
Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

ISBN 0-8118-3758-0

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this trickster tale, when Señor Calavera (Death) comes
for Grandma Beetle, she finds nine different things she must do before she goes
with him. She must sweep one house, boil
two pots of tea, make three stacks of tortillas, etc…and 10 is the number of
guests at her table—including Señor
Calavera. He has such a good time at the
party that he leaves without her, promising to come back for next year’s party. Using both Spanish and English to count, Yuyi
Morales creates a clever, fun book that honors the traditions of Mexican
culture.

3.CRITICAL
ANALYSIS

In this
clever tale, a grandmother tricks Death by delaying her departure with preparations
for her party. The counting words, both
in English and Spanish, are in bold, larger font. Morales uses the repeated phrase, ‘“Just a
minute, Señor Calavera,” Grandma Beetle said. “I will go with you right away…”’ before she
fills in yet another task the grandmother must accomplish. The repetition makes for a very fun read
aloud, as even young children will be able to anticipate what will come next
when the page turns. At the end of each
task, the number and the chore are summarized clearly as Señor Calavera counts up the
results. The children therefore are
exposed to each number at least three times in each scene, making for a very
educational book.

It is a
great celebration of Mexican culture.
There are the well-known tortillas and piñatas, but the book is saved
from overloading, because the story is so much more than just a description of
a Mexican holiday or a Mexican approach to a birthday. The trickster tale keeps a true narrative
running throughout the concept part of the book, which is quite an
achievement. The fruits are authentic to
Mexico, as well—Grandma Beetle cuts up papaya, cantaloupe and pineapple and watermelon. The grandmother and her grandchildren are
represented authentically despite the cartoon features, with the skin tone and
dark hair of Hispanic individuals. The
children are adorable. One child grins hugely, showing a missing front tooth.

The art is fantastically vivid and smooth.
The stylized cartoon pastel art is charming, with glowing color that
leaps off the page and will entice readers of all age. Señor Calavera is a skeleton, but not scary at all for the
younger audience who could very easily miss the fact that he is personifying Death. He is, in fact, often portrayed hilariously
rolling his eyes in impatience or stomping in the background as he waits for
Grandma Beetle. His pupils are flowers
and he evokes the Latino tradition of El Dia
de la Muerta (Day of the Dead), as he has little pretty decorations here
and there on his skull and along his bones.

Grandma
is the clever trickster in this tale. It’s
exciting to see an elderly woman shown blowing out her candles, “with a gust
like a hurricane,” and who is represented as being so smart she could outwit
Death itself. Her intent was just to
make it through her birthday celebration with her grandchildren (she tells him
she is ready after she gives them all a big hug that made my throat a little
tight), but he had gone and left her a note that he would see her next
year. This is a very strong Latina character
and one all kids will benefit from getting to know.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“This
story is a delight. Morales’s personification of death is never forbidding or
scary, but rather a simple matter of fact.
This deceptively simple read-aloud treat has as many layers as an onion,
and is every bit as savory.” -- School
Library Journal, Dec. 1, 2003.

“What’s
an old woman to do when a skeleton pays her a birthday visit and beckons her to
come along? Grandma Beetle, the heroine
of this joyful book by the illustrator of Harvesting Hope, stalls for
time. Just a minute, she says; there’s
something she needs to do. One chore leads
to another, but the skeleton can’t mask his enthusiasm as Grandma cooks, fills piñatas,
and performs other tasks, each one linked to a number from 1 to 10, uno to
diez. Eventually, nueve grandchildren
arrive for Grandma’s birthday party, and guess who else is invited? Even if children don’t grasp the implications
of the skeleton’s visit, they’ll enjoy seeing him join in the fun, and when he
extends Grandma’s lease on life, the relieved, loving embrace she gives her
grandchildren will satisfy young ones at a gut level. Like the text, the rich, lively artwork draws
strongly upon Mexican culture, with hints of Diego Rivera in Grandma’s robust
form, and the skeleton resembling the whimsical figurines often seen in Day of
the Dead folk art. The splendid
paintings and spirited storytelling—along with useful math and multicultural
elements—augur a long, full life for this original folktale.” --Booklist, Dec 1, 2003."Like the best folktales, the darker motivation for the skeleton's visit remains elusive for youngest readers, and the sly interplay between hostess and visitor makes light of his role. Morales (Harvesting Hope) whips up a visually striking book and funny to boot." -- Publishers Weekly, Dec. 1, 2003.

5.
CONNECTIONS

Read Niño
Wrestles the World
and do an author study, focusing on the humor in these books. Alternatively, read both books together and
study all the cultural references in the books and what they mean.

Read
other trickster tales and compare/contrast.

Read the
story on Dia de la Muerta and discuss
the cultural holiday.

Compare
this counting book to other concept books focused on numbers.

Have pairs
of students act out each scene in the book, perhaps even going through it twice
so everyone can play the impatient and funny Señor Calavera.Give students skull masks to decorate first
for their part as Señor Calavera.

6. PERSONAL REACTIONS

This was such a fun book!
My girls are a little old for any sort of counting book, but they both
had a great time laughing at the silly depictions of Señor Calavera. The only bit of advice I’d give is that the
font chosen for the main text made it hard to tell if this was, “Señor Calavera”
Or “Señor Galavera.” If you are not familiar
with Spanish, this is not an obvious answer and an unnecessary distraction.